User:Lou Razon/sandbox

Lou Razon

Lou Razon was born and raised in Manila ,Philippines on July 27, 1965. She studied Bachelor of Arts in Interior design in a prestigious school, the Assumption College. She then traveled to Taiwan, Hongkong, China and London to gain knowledge and study the different styles and approach in fashion designing. She mastered Fashion Design at the Art Institute in Los Angeles and was the best designer graduate of the year because of her hard work and love of the craft.

In 1997, Lou started her couture and Barong Tagalog store in West Covina, Ca, She popularized the use of barong  and genuine Filipino materials such as jusi and pina in weddings in the US basically  Los Angeles. In 2001, her design studio in Glendale California was established to showcase her original creations.

Because of her innate gift Lou was able to impress people from different sorts. Celebrities with big names rave about her designs like Bond Girl Rachel Grant, The Sopranos star Katherine Narducci, and Sir Paul McCartney who praised Lou’s design on national tv at the Oscar’s Vanity Fair party. Beauty queens such as Miss Universe Brook Lee, Miss World First runner-up and actress Ruffa Gutierrez, former Miss New York first runner-up and KTLA news anchor Cher Calvin were also impressed by Lou’s creativity.

Truly her designs exude class with simplicity. Every piece is treated like an obra. Because of her undeniable talent she was awarded “Newsmaker of the Year” by Diaryo Pilipino and a certificate of recognition from the City Council Office of  Eric Garcetti in the City of Los Angeles.

Lou Razon is based in Glendale, California and her mission as a designer is to make each woman look more elegant and sophisticated by making unique and perfectly fit clothing for any special occasion. Her passion, dedication and hard work make her thrive in the fashion couture industry.

Inspired by her Philippine culture, Lou Razon’s designs revolve around the use of embroidery, lace, silk organza and silk chiffon. Her designs are very feminine, they are very relative of her personality and of her culture. She picks vibrant colors and jewel tones for her collection which clearly denotes her positive outlook in life. Neutral colors like black, grey and beige are also her personal choices. Draping is usually applied in most of her designs and she considers this as a very challenging craft. Lou designs her own patterns that makes her unique in her own special way.

Lou Razon debuted her first show and her original creations in Monet Lu's fashion and awards night called Reflections the year 2000. She then received recognition as Most Promising Designer awarded by the Consul General of the Philippines Sir Edwin Bael. In 2001, she started producing her own fashion shows such as Seasons of Lou Razon at the Monterey Hills and Faces of Lifestyles at the prestigious The Biltmore Hotel with Dina Bonnevie and ABC 7 News Anchor and Reporter Denise Dador. She then earned more awards for her talent given by SIPA Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, Virgo Awards and Celebrity Chronicle. Lou was the very first Filipino designer that walked the red carpet at the Oscars, greeted with rave reviews in 2002, featured on ABC 7, and heralded her arrival as a new and important Filipino designer.

Lou had also produced several charity fashion shows called Fashion for a Cause,  All White Party, Black and White Benefit show that benefited foundations such as  American Cancer Society  , Gawad Kalinga, Bantay Bata, Walk with Sally, BKP California, Dare U to Care and Greenfund Project. Prominent Filipinos like Dr. Vicki Belo, Bond Girl Rachel Grant, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Lani Misalucha, AJ Rafael, Jason Farol, Donita Rose, Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido, Miss California 2008 Raquel Beezley,  Dr. Tess Mauricio had graced her benefit shows. Aside from her very own production, she also participated in Hollywood’s fashion event called LA Fashion Corner as one of the couture designers.

In September 2011, Lou together with co-founder Patrick Aguiluz, created the prestigious beauty pageant Miss Philippines USA. Originally called Miss Fil-Am, Miss Philippines USA was conceptualized because of Lou’s passion to discover  women who can best represent the Fil-Am community and become Ambassadors of Goodwill. Her second mission is to find fashion models and role models who can also wear her original creations. And third, to give back to the community through raising funds and helping the youth achieve their dreams.

Designer’s Philosophy

Lou Razon grew up watching  great Filipino Designers Pitoy Moreno and Renee Salud. Moreno and Salud’s involvement in beauty pageants had also influenced Lou to fulfill her dreams of becoming a successful couture designer and a pageant producer. Lou also admires two Lebanese designers who serve as her inspiration in creating her recent collections. She loves the 1920’s and 1950’s fashion. She injects a touch of eccentricity into each collection, using contrasting fabrics to reveal and emphasize the female silhouette. Her collection exudes liberty; the freedom fully to express oneself through modern, sophisticated and truly exceptional clothing.

Lou had a huge dream when she was a little girl, and now she is living her dream, as she shares to the younger generation -“In anything you do, be passionate. Believe in God and always follow your dreams”.